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Brookline Town Meeting to consider coming out against the Olympics
By adamg on Wed, 03/18/2015 - 1:43pm
An article on the warrant for the May 26 town meeting in Brookline calls on members to publicly reject the idea of a summer Olympics in 2024.
The article, proposed by Lee Biernbaum, starts:
Whereas: the Town of Brookline, surrounded on three sides and about 85% of its borders by Boston, was never consulted about hosting the 2024 Olympics before Boston2024's private bid was placed, proposing at least two events within our town ...
Biernbaum's proposal states concerns about taxpayers being stuck with override costs and the Olympics vacuuming money away from local non-profit groups. Also:
Boston 2024's plan does not include any public transit improvements not already planned for by the Commonwealth and would do nothing to fix a system desperately in need of attention and funding;
... Olympics security requirements put onerous burdens on local residents, and in prior Olympics included measures like anti-aircraft missiles on roofs of apartment buildings; and
[T]he Olympics' proposed marathon route through Brookline will likely result in a security cordon cutting residents off from jobs, schools, recreation, etc.; and the overall impact of the Olympics on us would be immeasurable, causing Town Administrator Mel
Kleckner to reply when asked by a reporter what would be affected in Brookline if Boston won the bid, "Everything"-- such as traffic, public safety, and housing." ...
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Comments
Golf @ Country Club
The Boston2024 bid includes Golf in Brookline at the Country Club with a capacity of 40,000 - 50,000 spectators.
Lee Street & Route 9 are proposed to be part of the Olympic Route Network, a network of Olympic Lanes to connect venues and provide reliable, safe transport for Olympic family vehicles and spectator shuttles.
I'm fairly certain The
I'm fairly certain The Country Club will tell town officials to go pound sand. The Country Club will probably point to the fact they hosted Ryder Cup and the U.S. Amateur Championship, the Olympic game of golf is no different.
The Country Club and Ryder Cup
During the Ryder Cup, didn't the Town of Brookline have to shut down its own adjoining municipal golf course, Putterham Meadows, so it could be used as a parking lot for The Country Club?
If that is supposed to happen again for the Olympics, then the town government rightly should have some say.
No, The Ryder Cup and US
No, The Ryder Cup and US Amateur Championship were isolated events with relatively small security requirements compared to the Olympics. The context is completely different and worthy of serious concern.
I don't remember the missile launchers back in '99
Ryder Cup is not the same as Olympics. How many apartment buildings had missile launchers installed on their roofs in 1999?
Good For Them
Public officials possibly - officially - coming out against Boston 2024, and with good solid reasons to prompt it. I like it.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
No need to worry about security in Brookline
We can just hire the turkeys. They'll keep EVERYONE away.
We toil for liberty! Not chicken feed....
We will defiantly demonstrate the plight of our oppressed kind to the world!
No public meetings, just a member only vote?
Sigh
Oh yes, I'm lookin' at the world through rose-colored glasses
Everything is rosy now
Lookin' at the world and everything that passes
Seems a rosy hue somehow
Why do I feel so spry?
Don't blink your eye
Needn't guess, I'll confess
Certain someone just said 'yes'
In a bungalow all covered with roses
I will settle down, I vow
That's why I'm lookin' at the world through rose-colored glasses
Everything is rosy now
Yes, everything is rosy now
Well, it is representative town meeting
That's just how they work.
I'm a little rusty on my town-meeting protocol, and I never covered Brookline, but wouldn't there be a finance-committee hearing on the proposal, where residents can speak? And aren't all residents allowed to speak at Town Meeting?
No, not the same as actually voting, but does Brookline have a mechanism for ballot questions?
Brookline has 240 Town Meeting Members
Brookline has 240 Town Meeting Members, 15 from each of the 16 precincts. Chances are good that one of your neighbors is an elected Town Meeting Member. Look up the list on the town website and contact them. It's rare that a voter provides direct feedback on issues. Do it!
You want meetings? You got meetings! Even though this is a non-binding resolution (not a bylaw), there will be many many public hearings and meetings before the main Town Meeting. Board of Selectmen, Advisory sub-committees, Advisory Committee, League of Women Voters, BrooklinePAX, BCAN etc. Show up and speak up. Subscribe to alerts or keep your eye on the calendar on the town website for notice.
Residents are allowed to speak at Town Meeting but you have to notify the moderator before the meeting. If it is getting late at night, there may be a vote to end debate before you get a chance to speak.
Marathon route
Don't know for sure but I believe they can not use the Boston Marathon route for the Olympics for some reason.....not that this matters.
Marathon Route
The Boston Marathon route is not a standard route for Olympics marathon. I believe that similarly the Charles River is not deemed Olympic standard for rowing events.
see this uhub article
contains map
http://www.universalhub.com/2015/make-way-olympians-duckling-statues-wou...
Net downhill and one-way
To be eligible for an official record, a marathon has to have no net change in elevation, and it can't be a straight-ish line because that would cause a net wind effect.
The proposed Olympic marathon course still goes through Brookline, but it doesn't start in Hopkinton.
Marathon Route
There is all kinds of stuff buried in those bid documents they posted, much of which hasn't been addressed, yet, as things like, Widlett Circle take precedence, but the devil is in the details.
http://www.wbur.org/2015/01/21/documents-boston-2024-olympics
Number 4, Sports-Venues is definitely worth checking out before coming to planning meetings!
Page 80 of the Sports-Venues lays out their proposed Marathon route, which uses some of the Marathon route, some of the Esplanade's running paths, and then cuts through a chunk of Allston/Brighton and Brookline, to run the last leg down the traditional Boston Marathon Route.
The bigger hoot, for me, is on page 76 of that same document, where they intend to have the Marathon Swim in the Charles, at Magazine Beach.
Would I like the Charles to be swimmable? Yes I would. Would I jump in myself? Maybe if I was on fire.
I know this is a proposal and a work in progress... but there is some things worth questioning them about early as we assess impact.
Yes, it was reported that
Yes, it was reported that neither the Boston Marathon route (too much decrease in elevation), nor the Head of the Charles course (too windy, too much current, too many bridges) could be used for the Olympics - http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/02/16/marathon-head-charles-cours...
Maybe the Olympics aren't so bad
The enemy of my enemy is my friend?
I'm opposed to the Olympics but generally if the Brookline Selectmen are opposed to it, I'm in a favor of it. I lived in Brookline for many years. I liked the town but found many of the resident's and the selectmen's attitude towards non-owners to be aggravating. They want all the benefits of being in a city but don't want the residents from said city visiting or living in their town.
Annoying
I live in JP and frequent Brookline's neighborhoods and resources. Just today, I went to Coolidge Corner to see a movie and shop. But, every time I have to drive to Brighton, I wonder again why I have to journey through another town to get there.
I used to take my kids to Larz Anderson to ice skate and would be charged double, as a non-resident, for the privilege. Does Boston charge double to non-residents to skate at the Frog Pond? I think not!
Yes, it is annoying.
Double?
I brought my kids up there this year a few times and it was $5 to skate instead of $3. ($7 for me and $5 for residents). And the hockey rate is the same for residents and non residents. I guess almost double, but not a huge price anyway, and all 2 and under kids skate for free (good luck with that!)
Boston isn't much different for various park and red services. Golf for non residents Is about $45 compared to $40. Boston Parks and Rec has a pecking order for their facilities that many towns don't have either for rentals (not including your standard public school inter scholastic use). I was in charge of a softball league once and was told I had to pay $100 for lights instead of $25 for residents (which is the rate they use for lighting in fields). They gave me the $25 rate when I told them it was a multi-resident league and mostly Boston residents.
So basically I this type of fee structure is very common in MA towns.
Welcome to reality
Lots of towns, all over the country, provide services for their residents at low cost, and charge a higher admission fee to non-residents. The practice is hardly exclusive to Brookline.
Hey Adam I have been hearing
Hey Adam I have been hearing how much money the Olymics will bring to boston. Quite the contrary to what you and your far left followers believe . Then again, why would any city want the Olympics if it was going to cause money to be lost? It's a money maker you fools
If there was a man named Boston, I'd believe you.
Only a select few will make money, and only a select group of criminals will make a whole lot of money.
Yeah, what do I know?
I'm just some commie pinko dirty hippie "blogger."
Not like these people.
I'm getting the sense Boston
I'm getting the sense Boston 2024 has engaged some minions to criticize every post you make about the Olympics on uhub. I suppose you should take it as a compliment! Maybe whining about Adam's (well-articulated, fact-driven) critiques of hosting the Olympics will be a Boston 2024 event.
Confused
Howie Carr is against the Olympics too. Didn't think he was "far-left" am I missing something here?
Don't give away your game
Dear Anon: When you refer to far left friends you are giving away your ignorance and bias. Far left? Supporters of the Olympics in this city would fit the stereotype of far left: using government powers (i.e., eminent domain) to force businesses to move so that a psuedo-government (Olympic committee) can take over the land. Same applies to the repositioning of public funds to pay the costs that will inevitably fall upon the public purse such as security and construction that private companies ultimately refuse to pay.
When you resort to an ad hominem attack of referring to a strawman of "the far left" you're letting everyone know that you have no idea of what you're talking about. Worse that you may be allowing yourself to see hype and propoganda as reality instead of seeing that the hype and propoganda is to justify a massive transfer of wealth to a small number of already rich pockets.
In a previous decade that would actually be called far right thinking.
Not a money maker for the
Not a money maker for the city. No city has made money on the Olympics since 1960. Cities themselves have lost money due to the overrun clauses in the IOC contract. Will certain people make money off the Olympics? - Definitely - those are the people advocating for it. Will the Olympics bring about infrastructure improvements for the residents of the city - highly unlikely. Do Olympics create jobs? Yes, but they also import large numbers of people from other places to take them, especially the higher paying, skilled jobs. About 75% of Olympics jobs go to people not from the city. You also have to account for the losses due to the Olympics. In all of the host cites, but especially in London, "normal"" tourists stayed away the year of the Olympics, so despite the increase during the Olympics, it was a net loss of tourism dollars. Olympics create a short-term bump, but a long-term decrease.
Try Again
I'm sure lots of folks here would be glad to tell you I'm by no means far left, but I wrote an opinion piece published in the Boston Herald that was obviously not in favor of the Olympics coming here in 2024.
Make Way For... Beach Volleyball?
(unfortunately, archived by this point, so you'll have to pay for the full read...)
As a matter of fact, the Herald - hardly what anyone would consider a far left newspaper - has had a number of very strong anti-Olympic pieces. When compared to the Globe (certainly a more left-leaning entity) one might consider the Herald to be the strongest anti-Olympic 2024 voice there is right now. So take your "far left" bullshit and shove it.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Why indeed
I guess the people of Krakow, Stockholm, Munich, Oslo and other are all just fools for voting to not have the Olympics in their cities.